New Century Warriors

Chapter 15. Returning to the Basics

A girl of medium build, dressed lightly, crossed her arms and looked at Raiye as if assessing his strength.

"No, this man doesn't seem reliable at all. What were you thinking, Elena? I already said this commission might be dangerous. Hiring a mercenary is a good idea, but the one you found is clearly a burden. Look at his hands, they don't look like they've ever held a weapon." She shook her head vigorously.

Elena looked embarrassed and tried to explain something, but Lei Ye interrupted her and strode forward.

"Your name is...you are, you must be the most famous thief lady in Hillius."

"...Don't you remember my name? I've bought things from your store before."

"You know what? I've been fed up with this for ages!" Lei Ye suddenly shouted. "I can't even imagine... how desperate a girl must be to choose to become a thief. Maybe I'm just more empathetic, but I really don't know how much you've suffered over the years. Here, take this!"

"Huh...? Ahh?"

The thief looked at the several large silver coins placed in her hand, then at Lei Ye, meeting his sincere (not really) face.

Raino was staring.

She turned her head away shyly.

Another person, unable to bear it any longer, ran over and grabbed the thief by the shoulder, shaking him violently.

"Wake up! How could you be fooled by just a few words? Don't forget why we formed this all-female explorer team in the first place. Men are the best at lying, and Elena must have been fooled by him too!"

"Your name is...you are, you..."

Lei Ye turned to face this person, thought for a long time, and then suddenly slapped his thigh.

"You must be the best healer in Hillius!"

"...Did you just forget my name or even my profession? I've bought things from your store before."

"No, that's not it. I was just a little distracted," Lei Ye stepped forward and took her hand that was holding the thief in his own. "Has anyone ever told you that your eyes seem to hold stars?"

"Ah, ahh...?"

The healer looked at the large silver coins placed in her hand, then at Raino, meeting his sincere (not really) face.

Raino was staring.

She turned her head away shyly.

"Oh! I'm serious. You're the most beautiful healer girl I've ever met. Please accept this; it's a gift I've prepared for you."

When Lei Ye let go, the healer had five large silver coins in her hand.

The two looked at each other, then turned to Elena, who was covering her face.

"Okay, that doesn't seem like a bad idea. Elena, you stay at the back of the group and protect Boss Lei."

"Although I heard that yesterday's registration caused quite a mess, Boss Lei probably doesn't have any practical experience, so he's with me as a support staff member... Wait a minute, Boss Lei isn't single, is he?"

Only then did Elena speak up, with a sense of helplessness.

"I didn't want him to come, but he kept pestering us and said he would give us compensation in return. You all know the current financial situation of our team, so I talked to him. The silver coins you have are your respective compensation."

"What the hell was that just now?!"

...

The dirt roads outside the city are still the same as I remember.

However, there were many signs of battle, the kind of marks left by powerful magic over a wide area that are difficult to recover from.

Generally speaking, this kind of magic is only used when dealing with a large number or large monsters, so seeing so many traces not far from the city wall made Raino feel very strange.

The destination wasn't far; it was just over an hour's walk from the city gate to the nearest forest to Hillius, where the abandoned goblin cave was located.

The team slowed their pace, with the thief at the front holding a map in one hand and a commission form in the other.

"We should be there in a short distance, but according to eyewitness reports, the trolls are gathering food for the winter, so we need to be on high alert from here on out."

This is wonderful! It's been years since Lei Ye has experienced such a genuine adventure.

Back then, he and Luo Ya had only been teaming up for a short time, and they were nervously analyzing this and that while holding maps and order forms.

However, Miss Thief's analysis is incorrect.

"No need, just find that cave quickly. Trolls are very lazy in winter. They went into that cave because a new goblin tribe moved in and the goblins became food for the trolls. As for the previous sighting, they were probably driving away other predators in the vicinity to prepare for winter. Didn't you notice how quiet this area is?"

The other three looked at each other, their expressions blank.

Lei Ye sighed, but this wasn't any particularly noteworthy information, and it didn't matter if they couldn't understand it.

As Lei Ye passed by a thicket, he noticed a small clump of uniquely shaped wild grass. He bent down, picked a few pieces, and distributed them to the others.

"Ice grass, holding it in your mouth slowly restores your magic power, and it's minty."

Before the boss battle, the alchemist in Lei Ye's team would first arrange buffs for her teammates. Lei Ye learned a lot about how to identify these wild materials from her.

There's actually no need to apply a buff this time, but since it was something I picked up off the street, it was just a casual thing to do.

To refresh myself.

"It actually works! Boss Lei, I thought you only knew how to make magical items. I didn't expect you could also identify medicinal herbs!" Elena exclaimed in surprise.

"My mother taught me," Lei Ye replied casually.

We arrived at the cave without any problems.

Even just standing at the cave entrance, Raino could smell an ominous odor; goblins had indeed been active here recently.

The other three each took out a portable magic lamp and lit it up. Lei Ye also rummaged through his equipment in his storage bag and found a similar magic lamp, which was much cooler than the ones they had.

"Technology really does change lives," Lei Ye thought to himself, recalling how he had subconsciously considered lighting a torch.

To be honest, Lei Ye hadn't decided on his weapon yet. He didn't have any fixed weapons before, just using whatever he had. But now it's different. There are so many weapons in his storage bag that it's dazzling. Lei Ye doesn't know how to choose. After hesitating for a moment, he picked out a short purple stick from it, swung it around casually, and found it quite handy.

While Lei Ye was choosing weapons, they were already assigning tasks.

"Maria used to be at the front, but she's not here this time, so I'll have to take over. Elena, you stay at the back of the group. Remember to protect Boss Lei. If anything happens, just take him and run away."

"Of course, protecting Boss Lei should be our top priority. Hey Boss Lei, your weapon..."

"Stop, stop, listen to me. Your positioning is seriously flawed," Lei Ye frowned as he interrupted them. He went to the front of the group and said, "None of you are the type of players who can withstand a lot of damage. So the person who can take the most damage should be in front. It's obvious that Elena should lead the charge."

"But, but she's a magician." The thief stared blankly.

"But the quality of her armor is not bad. I tested it. Wearing this armor, even if you are injured by a troll, you will not lose your fighting ability. But if you are hit by it, you will probably be on the verge of death. Even if there is a healer, there is no way to quickly bring you back to your condition. Listen to my instructions."

Raino emphasized the last sentence. He always used this kind of emphasis to make a final judgment when there was an argument with Mori no Kawa. Elena, who originally wanted to say something, was silently persuaded by the atmosphere that Raino suddenly revealed. She was a little dazed, as if she had returned to when she was a newcomer and followed behind the dark-skinned older sister who was more reliable than anyone else in her eyes.

"How is this like a businessman at all..." she couldn't help but complain.

Lei Ye suddenly strode closer.

"Wait, Boss Lei, you can't come here. The situation in the cave is complicated. Even with these powerful magic lamps, it's still very dangerous..."

Lei Ye swiftly passed by Elena, leaped out, twisted his body in mid-air, and threw three daggers, which were respectively driven into the shadowy corners on both sides and the stone wall above.

"guga——"

The goblin hanging on the stone wall above and the goblin hiding in the shadows on the right let out a scream, fell to the ground, and could not get up again.

Elena was stunned for several seconds upon seeing this.

Then, at the same time as the others, they realized what had happened.

"Huh?!?"

The thief frantically pulled out the commission slip, examining it repeatedly under the light of his magic lamp. "Strange, the intelligence clearly stated it was an abandoned goblin cave, so why are there goblins here? Strange... it really didn't say that! Isn't this a trap? Even if they're just goblins, it would be terrible if we were ambushed!"

That's correct, because goblins smear poisonous feces on their weapons, and if hit by it without an antidote, the goblin will quickly lose its fighting ability.

"and,"

Elena stood in the spot where Lei Ye had been standing, then moved to the spot where the goblin corpse was, looked at it from the same angle, and looked completely puzzled.

"Isn't this a blind spot?! How did you know there were goblins here?"

"I don't know, it's just a prediction. I've done a lot of training."

"What kind of training?! Could you please teach me that kind of training too?!"

"I can't teach you. First, you have to use the stone sword key to open the hidden underground tomb, and then die a few times at each corner. That way, when you actually face a similar situation, you'll be able to handle it as calmly as I do."

"Death... I don't understand it, but it's probably not a form of cultivation I can accept..."

"Heh, are you scared already? The training I've undergone is beyond your imagination. If there's time, I'd like to tell you about my glorious achievements in fighting the powerful enemy 'Breedland of Chaos,' which is the source of the resilience in my soul," Lei Ye sneered, turning his body back to face the darkness. "But let's talk about it when we get back. Grip your weapon tightly, it's time to face the enemy."

Elena wanted to ask Lei Ye where he learned his skillful throwing knife technique (of course, from his mother), but when she heard something about preparing to fight, she hurriedly raised the magic lamp in her left hand.

Deep within the winding cave, there was no sign of anything moving, nor any sound of monsters shouting.

She looked at Lei Ye with a puzzled expression.

"I can't recall the size of this cave, but there are two goblins guarding the first bend, which means there are a large number of goblins here. They should have already smelled the blood, so they'll be coming here soon. By the way, do you know a mid-level spell called [Whirlpool Fire Stream]?"

"Yes, but how did you know? I clearly heard Maria telling me that she was keeping her trump cards hidden very well."

"She should be teaching you some basic explorer knowledge, right? Never mind that for now. Aim at this path, and get your... what was that again? Listen to my instructions."

"...Turn around and forget the name of my skill, huh? Speaking of which, if the enemy is just a goblin, is it worth me using so much mana? I wanted to save my mana to deal with the troll."

I really don't understand. The mobs before the boss fight aren't that strong, but the key is to do it without taking any damage.

If someone gets hit by that poisoned weapon, it will affect the entire team's survival rate when facing the boss.

Lei Ye looked around and pointed in a certain direction. "Miss Thief, please go there and wait. I suspect there's a hidden path there."

The thief girl went over with some skepticism.

The healer looked at the two of them, then at Lei Ye, and pointed to himself.

It means "What about me?"

Why are you, a wet nurse, getting involved in this?

Lei Ye waited in silence. Lei Ye's superb hearing began to work, and he heard in the distance the sound of a large number of goblins gathering and slowly approaching.

They gathered in place, probably intending to ambush the intruders, but Lei Ye, who knew their location, remained calm. Just as they finally couldn't resist approaching—

"Now!" Raino gave the order decisively.

In an instant, a spiral of fire erupted from Elena's staff, crashing around the corner and overflowing to the side.

The goblin's wailing, accompanied by the firelight, instantly echoed throughout the cave.

Meanwhile, at the spot guarded by the thieves, a small stone slab was pushed down, and several goblins crawled out through a small hole that only goblins could pass through. But before they could even see what was happening, the thieves slit their throats with daggers, their movements incredibly fast.

It seems that his individual strength is not bad. Lei Ye was relieved, withdrew his gaze, and stepped into the arena through the extinguished flames.

Hey, why is this weapon in my hand vibrating?

...

There's not much to say about the battle itself; it was just a bunch of grunts, you could kill them one by one with a tap.

Lei Ye got a little carried away with the battle, going on a rampage all by himself, and only realized later that dealing with these grunts wasn't the purpose of his trip.

So he stopped, leaving the remaining game to Elena and the thief.

They stood in a row with the idly waiting healers at the back.

The healer's attitude was completely different from before; she seemed very reserved and stood obediently next to Raino.

Lei Ye sensed that she wanted to say something but was forcing herself to keep quiet, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

"What do you have to say?" So he asked.

"I still don't quite understand. If, as you say, the trolls occupied the goblin caves and were planning to eat them, why would these goblins still..."

"Trolls may look stupid, but they are actually very intelligent. They will take over the cave in the name of the 'new boss' and make the goblins scavenge for food to feed them through the winter. Only when the food is gone will they start to eat the goblins one by one. By the time the goblins are ready to fight back, they no longer have the strength to resist the trolls."

"No, no, no, what I mean is, Boss Lei, you're clearly an engineer, so how do you know all this? And you act like you have more experience than many of the senior members. Actually, we rarely take on commissions that require going deep into caves because every year there are strong teams that fail in these situations. Maria only took on this commission this time to relieve the pressure on the guild. I was terrified at first..."

She shrugged, looking even more awkward. "Boss Lei, you've always given off a very gentle vibe, but you're too gentle. I never thought you'd be this reliable. I feel much better now."

Lei Ye opened his mouth, but only managed to squeeze out a few words: "Don't say it."

It's nothing, we've always been like this.

Otherwise, why do you think I was able to become a mercenary for other squads with my previous stats?

The weapon in his hand was shaking incessantly, probably because the switch was broken and he couldn't turn it off. While dealing with the weapon, Lei Ye moved slightly to the side, keeping a distance from the healer.

This guy's eyes had that kind of frivolous look they had when Ye Lei was lecturing him, making Lei Ye feel very uncomfortable.

After a while, the battle over there ended, and the other two silently stood in front of Lei Ye. Although they did not speak, their eyes were full of admiration.

For Elena, this conviction carried a certain indescribable shock.

She originally disliked Lei Ye very much, extremely disliked him.

It's true that Elena thought Lei Ye was a good person, but it's also true that she disliked him. What Elena hates most is effeminate men, and her bad impression of Lei Ye is because his attitude is too soft. Elena once happened to witness Lei Ye being harassed by other customers when she was buying something from him. She was about to help him, but when she saw Lei Ye talking and talking, he managed to "coax" the troublemaker out.

Although Maria praised Raino as a businessman with some skills, Elena thought she might be stupid; she only saw a sissy who had to bow and scrape to enemies who came looking for trouble.

Ordinary citizens living in the city and protected are like this, lacking the fighting spirit gained from fighting monsters to the death. But they are ordinary citizens after all, so there's nothing that can be done. However, based on this reason, Elena silently harbors disdain for the owner of the magic item shop, Landmine.

But it seems that's not the case now.

Lei Ye was unaware of Elena's inner thoughts, only noticing that the subtle hostility she displayed when she came to pick up the package this morning had completely disappeared. This would make the upcoming boss battle go more smoothly.

Based on the size of the goblins, it is preliminarily judged that there are at least three trolls inside.

Lei Ye thought for a moment, then looked at the three people whose attitudes had completely reversed from those of Line 1, and who had become his temporary subordinates.

These three are so sexy, how about...

"I need to make some pre-battle preparations. Are you still willing to follow my instructions?"

The three looked at each other and nodded.

"I'll do whatever you say, Boss Lei."

"Then I'm relieved."

Lei Ye nodded and took a deep breath.

"Even for just a little while, could you be my mother?"